The present invention relates to an ultrasonic imaging apparatus, and more particularly to an ultrasonic imaging apparatus for capturing a three-dimensional image.
An ultrasonic imaging apparatus scans the interior of a subject to be imaged by an ultrasonic beam, receives an echo, generates image data corresponding to the intensity of the echo, and produces what is generally called a B-mode image based on the image data. When a three-dimensional image is to be captured, the scan by the ultrasonic beam is conducted in a three-dimensional manner to acquire three-dimensional image data. The scan by the ultrasonic beam is sometimes referred to as an acoustic line scan.
By applying suitable processing to the three-dimensional image data after the image capture, a three-dimensional image as viewed in an arbitrary direction is produced. Alternatively, a tomographic image of an arbitrary cross section may be produced. Such processing is sometimes referred to as post-processing.
An image produced by the post-processing corresponds to an image that is captured in a direction different from an actual imaging direction. By additionally using such an image, diagnosis can be made more efficiently.
When an image corresponding to one captured in a direction different from an actual imaging direction is produced by the post-processing, a diagnostician must perceive the spatial relationship between the imaging direction and the subject. However, since all images are displayed in the same orientation as viewed by the diagnostician, it is difficult to perceive the spatial relationship from the displayed image.